Postcard from Abroad: Calgary, Canada

CALGARY, CANADA

Jessica La

Asemester exchange had always been on my bucket list. However, the structure of law degrees at Macquarie University means most students won’t embark on the adventure until their fourth year of studies. So, when the time finally came, I was so excited. I didn’t know much about Calgary before I moved (except that ‘Cool Runnings’ was filmed there), but I knew I wanted to go somewhere with snow. I picked Calgary because, while it experiences some of the most extreme cold, it’s also the sunniest city in Canada - they get 333 sunny days per year. University life Adapting to life in Calgary wasn’t too difficult for me. I lived on campus, at Cascade Hall, where many other exchange and international students lived. I was lucky to meet amazing people from all around the world, who quickly became my exchange family.

Together, we experienced some of the most quintessential aspects of Canadian life, including ice hockey. There is an annual game called the Crowchild Classic between the two universities in Calgary: University of Calgary’s Dinos and Mount Royal University’s Cougars. The atmosphere at this game

was phenomenal – everyone was dressed head to toe in their respective colours, cheering for their university. The Dinos won the game in the last thirty seconds, so you can only imagine the celebrations thereafter.

Throughout the semester, the Society of Law Students (‘SLS’) organised many events, including Law Formal, Law Show (their version of Law Revue) and ski trips. They also ran a weekly catch-up over half priced wine at a local pub, which was an excellent way to meet fellow law students.

Classes The structure of the University of Calgary’s law school is vastly different to Macquarie Law School. There are no lectures, but rather two 2-hour classes for each subject per week. I had a class at 8 am twice a week – in the dead of winter, this meant that I had to walk to class before the sun had risen! The campus, however, has ‘tunnels’ which connect all buildings on campus through underground tunnels or aboveground bridges between buildings. These tunnels allowed me to walk from my apartment to class without going outside and braving the cold. It was definitely a saviour during the polar vortex where there was a wind chill of -39 o C!

Law at the University of Calgary is a postgraduate program, so the cohort is much smaller. Each elective course is capped at around 25 students, which meant I missed out on a few subjects that I was interested

in. However, the small class sizes encouraged genuine dialogue between students and professors, and therefore more in-depth understanding of course content. My favourite course that I took was Advanced Criminal Law, which was run by a criminal defence lawyer named Kaysi Fagan. Ms Fagan is an inspiring legal professional, who taught us from a uniquely authentic perspective. Her passion for her work transferred into her teaching, which made it even more enjoyable.

The subjects I took mostly had final exams worth 100%. Initially I found this really daunting, but in hindsight, it allowed me to enjoy my semester without the stress of multiple assignments being due. When the time came to study for my finals, I discovered that the top floor of the library offers distant yet picturesque views of the Canadian Rockies (a small silver lining).

Travel Before classes started, I travelled to California with a girl I met at orientation. We had known each other for only a few days before we decided to do a road trip from San Francisco to the Napa Valley, Yosemite and back. This spontaneity made this trip even more enjoyable and was, what I believe, the essence of exchange travelling.

Calgary is nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, meaning that it is surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes. Banff is a small mountain

town about a 90-minute drive away, so I spent many of my weekends there. Throughout my exchange, I was lucky to see so much of Canada. I visited new cities, experienced different cultures, walked on frozen lakes, went snowboarding, hiking, and even dog sledding. I remember being in awe of every view I saw. I had never seen snow before I moved to Calgary and suddenly I was living in a real-life snow globe.

Travelling with new friends is a unique aspect of exchange, and possibly the most rewarding. It gave me an opportunity to form close friendships with other exchange students, and create some of my favourite memories.

Take-aways Overall, my exchange experience was an incredible opportunity for learning, fun, and self-growth. Exchange is a unique experience which involves pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, but the benefit is beyond worth it. I learned so much about myself and met amazing people who inspired me with their unique perspectives on the world. I am so grateful for the friendships and memories I made.

To anyone considering exchange, I encourage you to bite the bullet because you definitely won’t regret it. Surrender yourself to the experience and the only downside of exchange will be having to say goodbye at the end of it all!